Paragliding World Championships Manilla 2015

The 2015 FAI Paragliding World Championships will be held in Manilla from February 23 to March 10 2015.

These, the 10th World Championships, are expected to draw 150 pilots from 50 different countries with an anticipated audience of between 3,000 and 5,000.

The Manilla location owes much to Godfrey Wenness. A former Sydney property developer, Wenness bought an old sheep property at Mt Borah just outside Manilla in the mid nineties.

Mt Borah proved to be an ideal place for launching, enabling pilots to take off from any direction in almost any wind condition.

Recognising the value of the site, Wenness first set up the Manilla Sky Sailors Club then the Tamworth (Manilla is 45 km north of Tamworth) Hang Gliding Club. Today Manilla Sky Sailors has around 2,000 visiting members.Manilla has a population of just 2,500. The whole community supported by the local council has gathered together to support the event and to guarantee visitors a superb country reception.

For further information on the Championships visit http://www.manilla2015.com/ or phone Godfrey Wenness on (o2) (international + 61 2) 6785 6545.

Don Dorrigo Show

Photo: Gordon Smith, Pavilion, 2006 Dorrigo Show

Having just updated the rolling list of New England's festivals, shows and events, Gordon's photo of the pavilion at the Dorrigo show caught my eye.

Don Dorrigo, usually shortened to Dorrigo, lies at the edge of the New England escarpment in some of New England's most beautiful country.

When we were children driving from Armidale to stay at Urunga or Sawtell we always stopped at the same cafe in Dorrigo for lunch.

Many years later when I was running for Country Party preselection for Armidale, I spent many days staying near Dorrigo, driving round all the little backroads, going to meetings in little halls, calling in at farms, always being surprised at the visual cameos that appeared around each corner.

Dorrigo remains one of my favourite New England places.

Creation of New England History Blog

Photo: Past days, Manning River

One of my core objectives in establishing the New England, Australia blog was to document and present the history of New England. In doing so, I also wanted to encourage discussion of New England history and historiography.

While I have written a quantity of straight historical material and have tried to build historical background into other posts, I have been finding that the purely historical material is getting lost in the broader sweep of this blog. So with some reluctance I have decided to establish a new blog, New England's History, dedicated just to New England history and historiography. I say with some reluctance because just at present I need another blog like I need a hole in the head!

I will continue to carry historical material on this blog as part of the broad New England story, but the new blog will allow a deeper focus on the purely historical material, thus making that more accessible. With time, I hope to add others to the blog team thus encouraging New England historiography.

I propose to begin by copying some of the historical material from this site to the new blog, allowing me to link things together in new ways in terms of both chronology and themes. Once this is completed I can begin to add new material drawn from this site as well other sources.

The specialist focus of the new blog means that I will not be using it for current commentary, nor will I be posting as frequently. I plan to put up an absolute maximum of three posts per week, allowing more time for people to read, absorb and hopefully participate. I also plan to run more material on historical methodology.

As with all these things, it will take time for the blog to build momentum and also define it full focus.

New England Festivals, Shows & Events

Photo: Bohena Olives, Nosh on the Namoi, 2006

This is an updated list of New England festivals, shows and events. I still have more than thirty to add, but thought it better to get this list of 38 in all up.

When I started this list I was focusing just on Festivals. I have now added in shows and events. In preparing the list, I have tried to focus on things that I think might be of interest to those outside the immediate district.

• 12-14 January, Craftathon, Taree


• 19 - 28 January, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Tamworth. Australia's premier country music event. The Golden Guitar Awards will be on 27 January.


• February, Hunter Valley Music Festival


• 3 March, Comboyne Show, Comboyne


• 4-12 March, Festival of Whales, Nelson Bay


• 9 -11 March, Minerama, Glen Innes. Four day mineral and gem show.


• 10-18 March, 23rd Annual Lasiandra Festival, Wauchope


• 17-18 March, Wingham Show, Wingham


• 18 March, Port Stephens - Jazz At the Winery.


• 23 -25 March, the 5th Annual Newcastle Blues Festival


• 31 March, Nosh on the Namoi, Narrabri. Food and wine from multiple exhibitors.


• 7-8 April, Easter Powerboat Classic, Taree


• 5-9 April East Coast International Blues and Roots Music Festival, Byron Bay


• 22-30 April, Camden Haven Music Festival, Camden Haven


• May, New England Bach Festival, Armidale
• 3-6 May, Australian Celtic Festival, Glen Innes. One of Australia's largest festivals celebrating celtic culture.


• 11-13 May, New England Wool Expo, Armidale. Showcasing New England's fine merino wool, the industry that grows it and the fashions produced.


• 9 - 11 June, Non Conventional Homes Eco Tour, Taree. The Envirofair on the Saturday is followed by a two day self-drive tour featuring privately owned homes, commercial buildings and gardens constructed using earth friendly methods.


• July Hats Off to Country Festival, Tamworth. Mid year country music event.


• 3-5 August, Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Bay
• August, Newcastle Jazz Festival, Newcastle


• 17-19 August, 18th Bellingen Jazz and Blues Festival, Bellingen


• September, date TBA, Tastings of the Hastings, Port Macquarie. Annual food & wine Event


• September 7-9, Morpeth Jazz Festival, Morpeth


• 1-6 October, Watermark Literary Muster, Kendall. Writers & readers from Australia and around the world celebrating the literature of nature & place.


• October long weekend, This is Not Art, Newcastle. Australia’s premier independent arts and new media festival held in Newcastle each year over the October long weekend


• 13-14 October, Taree Show, Taree
• October, New England Regional Wine Show, Glen Innes. Story
• October, Saphire Festival, Inverell.
• October, Surfing the Cold Stream, Yamba. Arts fringe festival.
  October, Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival, Dorrigo
• October, Armidale Women's Comedy Festival, Armidale
• October/November: Jacaranda City Festival, Grafton.The world-renowned Jacaranda Festival is held yearly from the last weekend in October to the first weekend in November. Inaugurated in 1935, this was the first of Australia's folk festivals and is based upon the magnificent spectacle of the hundreds of lilac-blossomed trees which grow in Grafton's broad tree lined avenues. It expresses the people's thanksgiving for the generosity with which nature blesses this part of the globe.
  November.


• 3-4 November, Wingham Campdraft Weekend. Wingham


• Land Of The Beardies Festival, Glen Innes. Each spring, Glen Innes celebrates its unique Celtic heritage with its Land of the Beardies Festival, a rare and entertaining mix of Celtic culture, typical Australian pastimes and traditional events. Story
• November. Thunderbolt Country Fair & Talent Quest, Uralla. Story
• November. Tenterfield Food and Wine Fesitival, Tenterfield


• 1-16 January 2015, Stamping Ground Dance Festival, Bellingen ?Coffs Harbour)